Transportation

ABSTRACT

Means of transportation comprise a track and vehicle guided along the track with the self-routing faculty of track selection. That is to say, two stationary guides are positioned at each branch of the track, and each vehicle carries means to select one or other of the guides and hence to follow one or other of the alternative routes at each track branch. For optimum track utilisation the vehicles, particularly at busy traffic periods, are grouped so that a plurality of vehicles run as a &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;contact train&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; with the individual vehicles in each group in contact one with the next. Although in contact they remain separate, so that at each branch any vehicle is free to follow the chosen or preprogrammed route at that branch.

nitd States Patent [191 Perrott [451 Dec. 25, 1973 TRANSPORTATION England [22] Filed: June 28, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 157,102

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 24, 1970 Great Britain 36,010/70 Nov. 9, 1970 Great Britain 53,099/70 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Corby 104/105 3,680,488 8/1972 Donlon 104/130 Primary ExaminerGerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-D. W Keen Attorney-Young & Thompson 5 7 ABSTRACT Means of transportation comprise a track and vehicle guided along the track with the self-routing faculty of track selection. That is to say, two stationary guides are positioned at each branch of the track, and each vehicle carries means to select one or other of the guides and hence to follow one or other of the alternative routes at each track branch For optimum track utilisation the vehicles, particularly at busy traffic periods, are grouped so that a plurality of vehicles run as a contact train with the individual vehicles in each group in contact one with the next. Although in contact they remain separate, so that at each branch any vehicle is free to follow the chosen or preprogrammed route at that branch 21 Claims, 87 Drawing Figures PATENTEBUEGZSIHYS SHEET 01 HF 23 PATENTED 6 3.780.666

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1. Means of transportation comprising a mono-rail vehicle suspended from an overhead wheeled carriAge by a linkage, two overhead support tracks between which the said linkage passes, which support tracks separate at a branch in the track, so that each side one thereof follows a respective side of the branch, four permanently-stationary guide surfaces, two of which extend parallel to each of said branches of the track, and vehiclemounted followers whereby the pair of guide surfaces corresponding to the branch in the track selected may be engaged, thereby guiding the wheeled carriage into that side of the branch and whereby said wheeled carriage is temporarily supported by one only of said support tracks, and whereby two of said guide surfaces act upon two of said vehicle-mounted followers, to produce a couple which compensates for the couple produced by the asymmetrical support of the carriage.
 2. Means according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle is one of a plurality of vehicles and means are provided whereby the speed of the vehicles may be controlled, and in particular reduced, to bring a group of the vehicles into end-to-end contact which is maintained during subsequent increase in speed, each vehicle having a front buffer mounting a roller and a full-width buffer at the back, across which back buffer the front of the next following vehicle slides to allow adjacent vehicle in end-to-end contact to become separated at a branch in the tracks, one branching left and one right.
 3. Means according to claim 2, wherein a buffer of each vehicle is provided with a load-sensing member, whereby contact forces between adjacent vehicles are regulated to control the vehicle speed.
 4. Means according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle-mounted followers comprise wheels which roll over said guide surfaces.
 5. Means according to claim 4, wherein all four of said guide surface are effective through forces applied to said follower wheels in directions normal to the axis of rotation of said wheels at the time engaged.
 6. Means according to claim 4, wherein the axis of rotation of one of said follower wheels, when the vehicle is viewed in end elevation, is disposed at an angle with respect to the axis of rotation of a support wheel of the vehicle.
 7. Means according to claim 1, wherein a stop limits the motion of said follower in the direction of the load applied thereto.
 8. Means of transportation according to claim 1, in which on entering said branch one of said followers is disengaged from a corresponding inward facing one of said guide surfaces, solely by reason of the component of the motion of the wheeled carriage in a direction normal to said guide surface.
 9. Means according to claim 8, wherein a follower is moved into its position for engagement by the appropriate guide surfaces by motion in the same direction as the load which is subsequently applied to the follower by the guide surfaces engaged.
 10. Means of transportation according to claim 1, in which two additional permanently stationary guide surfaces are provided at a branch in the track, and means are provided whereby a vehicle-mounted follower engages one or other of said additional guide surfaces on the side of the branch corresponding to the route selected.
 11. Means of transportation according to claim 10, in which said vehicle-mounted follower is pivotable about a vertical axis.
 12. Means of transportation according to claim 1, in which said vehicle is electrically propelled by means of power supplied through one or both of two sets of vehicle-mounted power collectors which are disengaged from their appropriate distribution rails solely by reason of a component of the motion of the wheeled carriage in a direction towards or away from the distribution rails.
 13. Means of transportation comprising a plurality of mono-rail vehicles each suspended from an overhead wheeled carriage by a linkage, two overhead support tracks between which the said linkage passes, which support tracks separate at a branch in the track, so that each side one thereof follows a respective side of the branch, fouR permanently-stationary guide surfaces, two of which extend parallel to each of said branches of the track, vehicle-mounted followers whereby the pair of guide surfaces corresponding to the branch in the track selected may be engaged, thereby guiding the wheeled carriage into that side of the branch and whereby said wheeled carriage is temporarily supported by one only of said support tracks, and whereby two of said guide surfaces act upon two of said vehicle-mounted followers, to produce a couple which compensates for the couple produced by the asymmetrical support of the carriage, and for each vehicle means whereby the speed of the vehicles may be controlled, and in particular reduced, to bring a group of the vehicles into end-to-end contact which is maintained during subsequent increase in speed, which speed control means include speed trim means comprising a motor whose ''''stator'''' is rotatable by a second motor.
 14. Means of transportation comprising a plurality of mono-rail vehicles each suspended from an overhead wheeled carriage by a linkage, two overhead support tracks between which the said linkage passes, which support tracks separate at a branch in the track, so that each side one thereof follows a respective side of the branch, four permanently-stationary guide surfaces, two of which extend prallel to each of said branches of the track, and vehicle-mounted followers whereby the pair of guide surfaces corresponding to the branch in the track selected may be engaged, thereby guiding the wheeled carriage into that side of the branch and whereby said wheeled carriage is temporarily supported by one only of said support tracks, and whereby two of said guide surfaces act upon two of said vehicle-mounted followers, to produce a couple which compensates for the couple produced by the asymmetrical support of the carriage, and means whereby the speed of the vehicles may be controlled, and in particular reduced, to bring a group of the vehicles into end-to-end contact which is maintained during subsequent increase in speed, the separation distance between vehicles being controlled by means using a clock pulse transmitted through a track-mounted conductor and receipt of the clock pulse by a vehicle initiating a rearwards transmission from that vehicle, such rearward transmission from a vehicle on one of two converging tracks being picked up by a track-mounted receiver and re-transmitted from a receiver on the other converging track.
 15. Means of transportation comprising a mono-rail vehicle suspended from an overhead wheeled carriage by a linkage, a hollow beam within which said wheeled carriage runs and which provides two overhead support tracks between which the said linkage passes which support tracks separate at a branch in the tracks, so that each side one thereof follows a respective side of the branch, four permanently-stationary guide surfaces, two of which extend parallel to each of said branches of the track and are each provided by a member projecting downwards from the inside of the top of said beam, and vehicle-mounted followers whereby the pair of guide surfaces corresponding to the branch in the track selected may be engaged, thereby guiding the wheeled carriage into that side of the branch and whereby said wheeled carriage is temporarily supported by one only of said support tracks, and whereby two of said guide surfaces act upon two of said vehicle-mounted followers, to produce a couple which compensates for the couple produced by the asymmetrical support of the carriage.
 16. Means according to claim 14, wherein the associated clock pulse is also similarly picked up and re-transmitted.
 17. Means according to claim 16, wherein said clock pulses on two converging tracks are substantially out of phase.
 18. Means of transportation according to claim 15, in which said downward-projecting guide surfaces are provided only at selected portions of said tracks.
 19. Means of transportation according to claim 18, in which said downward-projectiNg guide surfaces are alternatively engageable by the same follower assembly incorporating one of said followers.
 20. Means of transportation according to claim 19, in which said follower assembly is provided with means for pivoting about an axis parallel to the plane of said guide surface at the time engaged by the follower of the assembly.
 21. Means of transportation according to claim 15, in which said vehicle is driven by a linear motor at the top of all parts of the wheeled carriage except a follower assembly at the time engaged with one of said downward-projecting guide surfaces. 